There have been various attempts to utilize the waste heat generated by internal combustion engines. Inventions known in the prior art utilize the hot combustion exhaust emitted from the cylinder of an engine to heat a reservoir of water in order to generate steam. The steam is then directed to a steam turbine, cylinder or engine that converts the steam to power; thereby, supplementing the power output of the engine.
Waste heat generated by internal combustion engines is vented to the atmosphere by two primary means and one secondary means. The major primary means of heat venting is the very rapid venting of the hot exhaust gases into the atmosphere via the exhaust pipe. The other primary means of heat venting is via conduction and convection from the radiator in a liquid cooled engine, or from the cooling fins of an air cooled engine. The secondary means is from conduction and convection from the engine itself along with its associated components.
Inventions known in the prior art share one fundamental flaw in their designs. That is their inability to utilize a substantial percentage of the waste heat for steam or power production, due to the very rapid egress of the hot exhaust gases through the exhaust system and out the exhaust pipe. Conduction and convection heat transfer is so slow even through a good heat conducting material that the large majority of the waste heat is vented out the exhaust pipe. In no instance in inventions known in the prior art is water or other liquid injected directly into the hot exhaust gases.
Water injected directly into the super hot exhaust gases exiting the engine cylinder confined under pressure within a modified exhaust manifold results in an explosive expansion of steam pressure buildup similar in magnitude and duration to the explosive expansion of gases within the engine cylinder during the fuel burn of the power stroke of the engine. This steam power generation is independent of and in addition to the power generated by the fuel burn within the engine cylinder.
In U.S. Pat. No. 4,433,548 the water injection does not go into the exhaust. At the end of the exhaust stroke all of the hot exhaust has already vented into the exhaust manifold and the exhaust valve has closed. The water injection is made into the steam generation chamber which is in reality a one-way valve protected extension of the cylinder's combustion chamber. The heat energy being utilized for steam production is the residual heat retained within the combustion chamber and its steam generation chamber extension from the prior fuel burn during the power stroke. This patent is using the hot exhaust energy only to preheat the water for water injection.
This patent also fails to mention any means of shutting off the fuel intake during this "second power stroke" or any means of keeping the cam operated regular intake valve closed during this "second power stroke", i.e., the regular intake stroke. In fact, the steam generated would blow back out the open intake valve, into the intake manifold and back into the carburetor.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,406,127 generates steam by injecting water onto the surface of an exhaust manifold which is surrounded by a chamber. A steam cylinder is connected to the chamber converting steam into power.